1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to safety belt buckles for passengers in vehicles such as automobiles, and more particularly to improved means for housing and facilitating the operation of the components of the buckle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Safety belt buckles have been developed in order to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents. Most of these buckles include, as major components, a housing connected to a seat belt or strap anchored to the vehicle body, a latching mechanism adapted to coact with the tongue of another seat belt similarly secured to the vehicle and an ejecting mechanism for ejecting the tongue from the housing. One of the problems encountered with such buckles is the difficulty of inserting the tongue into the housing and ejecting it therefrom. The magnitude of the biasing force exerted on the latching mechanism to prevent premature ejection of the tongue during collision conditions, provides for rough entry of the tongue upon insertion thereof into the housing, increases the release effort, or force required to eject the tongue from the housing, and generates friction between the latching and ejecting mechanisms, preventing complete ejection of the tongue. Another problem with such buckles is the relatively large size, weight and cost thereof. The present invention provides a means whereby the aforesaid problems are overcome.